Wichita eagle., 1887-11-22
RAMBLEs ABOUT EUROPE.
From England to Egypt and the Holy
Land Especially for the Eagle
NO. xxx.
JERUSALEM, Oct. 22d, 1887,

City is not proper subject to write up
in the columns OF the secular press, that
such wares should be taken to another
market where they will be valued ac-
cording to their true merit. l doubt the
correctness Of this view, and will run the
risk of mourning the displeasure Of my
friends by discoursing on things relatively
sacred, but first on general topics by way
of Introduction.
MANY of the drawbacks with which
people living here have to contend, are
attributed to the mismanagement Of the
Turkish government. Internal and har-
Dor improvements are discouraged, and
without these it is useless to expect peo-
pie whose minds are still cropping in the
gloom of the dark ages, to emerge into the
broad daylight of the civilization of the
Nineteenth century. But despite the
many discouragements that block the
wheels of progress, the condition IS not
as lamentabl as it might be. Jatfa
without harbor is rapidly increasing
in population, and Jerusalem without
railroad or a highway worthy of the
name has advanced from 5000 people IN
1876 to 90 600 ten years later. The Jews
fleeing from persecution in Europe are
GENERATING here which is shown by the
fact that they have no less than $50 syna
gogues in this city alone. l am indebted
TO our consul. Mr Gilman, for this, and
much other valuable information.
The peculiarities of Jerusalem, differ
ing from any other city l. have visited,
are quite marked The houses, for in
stance, are built with the almost total
disuse Of either lumber or iron. The
walls. floors. and ceilings are stone, the
roof, thing and stone By the use of the
arch they dispense with joists and rafters.
The quadralateral arch Of the top story
causes the peculiar, and not unpleaslng.
dome-shaped roof SO common all over
Palestine, Again. there are neither
water works nor wells in Jerusalem, but
the rain water during the rainy
season is collected in stone els
terms and, / am told, that a sup
ply for three years can be husbanded
in one season if considered necessary.
We have been drinking water more than
SIX months old, and it is as pure, clear
and sweet as when it fell from the clouds.
the supply runs short they are supplied
by the water peddlers, who tote it on
their backs in goat skins, and these goat
skins are quite an institution in them
selves. | don't know Just exactly how
they are prepared, but the hair Is left on,
and the body. vent and legs are sewed up,
the neck being left open. When filled
this is tied, and the goat skin then pre-
. !
performed its normal functions. A skin
Of water can be purchased for about six
cents. but an American would have to be
| as dry as fish on land before he could be
! induced to Stake his thirst at such foun-
tain.
This is city within whose walls the
rumble Of carriage wheels is never heard.
The streets are mere alleys, the Jewish
: quarters being the filthiest and loUde5t
, smelling neighborhood that ever shocked
the sensibilities Of the writer. The bust
ness streets are crooked and Ill paved.
2 The street of David. commencing at the
5 jaifa gate, runs diagonaIly for half a
, mile to the Mosque of Omar on the sup
posed sight of SOlOmons temple. II
is about twenty feet wide and is travers-
7 ed by terraces or stone steps, each about
I ten inches high and eight feet deep. On
each side are ShOpS-Cu5tOmOrs III every
instances making their purchases from
5 the outside. There are no sidewalks,
/ and pedestrians take the middle of the
= street along with the camels and donk-
evs, and it requires one to be always on
the lookout to avoid being jostled OF
brought to his senses by feeling the
= breath of a camel in his face, or being
l scraped by the burdens with which they
: are loaded On this street is the grain
s market, and one cannot but be impress
ed by the method in which business is
transacted. The stock in trade usually
; consists of a few sacks of wheat OF
: barley. or sometimes a heap containing
: ten or fifteen bushels. Here one learn;
:, the true significance of measure gospel
pressed down and shaken together, anC
/ running over shall men give into you
: bosom" | have seen the vender fill uT
: the measure with wheat. then shake il
=, down and pile it up again until not anOtn
= er grain would stay on. Then he deity
u dumped it into his customer 5 bosom. Tha
e may seem q strange receptacle. but IN tn
= mode of dress worn. which has no
: varied for perhaps 1900 years, it can b.
= well adapted To the purpose. If one care
: 70 study the Bible and obtain i true con
Y ception of it historically he must com,
Y to Palestine; everything here is mad,
subordinate TO its teachings and, though
y the MOslems confine themselves to tn
S reading of the Koran. they believe il
e Christ as a prophet, and respect the Ok
y Testament. In their devotion they art
- quite exemplary.
There IS On atmosphere Of sancity abOu
the Holy City that is bound to impress
the most skeptical. But few visitor
come here unless on a pilgrimage, anC
Il even tourists as rule are in sympath,
[ with some branch of the church. anl
= whilst they are not perhaps either fanati
cal nor even woEshipper yet the tenor o
a their conversation is invariably cOnnecte,
Il with religious subjects" The total alb
: sence Of amusements and frivolous recre
:, alton hedge up the lives OF the peopl
l here into narrow compassionate of bus
u mess and religion and the latter predemi
t. mates. There ere no less than thirty-twt
monaSterieS and this in connection witt
> the Mosques of the Moslems. and tn
churches Of the various protestant de
nominations viii give you some idea o
the ponderOus machinery (if / may Us
the term in use 10 perpetuate the variou
Il creeds and exercise an influence on al
o who come within the scope of their teach
ings. Now this influence is bv no mean
= confined TO the dwellings of Jerusalem
; for hither flock from ali parts of the chris
7 tan world as well as from a large Dor
: ton of the Moslem domain. pilgrims il
! vast numbers. whose offerings and stipu
e lated fees fill the Golfers of the Greek
/ Latin. Armenian and Copt churches. ant
support all these vast establishment
Il,